Two buses of APSRTC gutted in fire on Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway

Hyderabad, Feb 26: Two sleeper luxury buses of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were gutted in a fire on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway on Sunday. There were no passengers in the buses which averted a major tragedy.

The accident occurred in Telangana's Suryapet district around 3 a.m. when APSRTC employees were trying to solve some battery issue in one of the buses by connecting them with a wire. One of the buses caught fire with a loud explosion and it soon engulfed the entire vehicle and spread to another bus.

Police said fire tenders rushed to the scene and tried to douse the fire but both the buses were completely burnt.

The accident occurred near Gumpula village in Chivvemla mandal of Suryapet district. 'Vennela' sleeper bus of APSRTC, which was heading to Vijayawada from Hyderabad, broke down near Gumpula village due to battery problem. The state-owned bus operator arranged another bus for the passengers. Later, APSRTC staff called another bus from Suryapet depot and were trying to rectify the battery problem in the first bus by connecting the two with a wire.

Officials suspect the fire was triggered by a battery explosion in the bus which was rushed from Suryapet depot.